virago|c.g.|

xxv

As Clary and Carl pushed past the door, gunfire was heard as Carl shot down the man that had been chasing Ron. The teenage boy stopped in his tracks, looking back only to stare at the fallen man. As both Clary and Carl made their way down the porch steps, Carl with his gun raised towards the man writhing in pain, Clary tightened her grip on her sword. "Please, man, please don't kill me! Help me, please. My leg," the man cried out in pain.

As Carl went closer, his gaze softening, Clary reached out to stop him. However, it had been too late as the man lunged for Carl, grabbing a hold of his gun. Clary didn't think twice before swinging her sword, the blade catching the man's arm and cutting it almost clean off. With the large wound, the man screamed in pain before Carl shot him, ending the scream abruptly before he fell to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Assured that the man was dead, Clary turned to Ron. He was silent, his eyes wide as he looked to the man that the two teenagers had just killed to sage him. "Enid's with us. Come inside so Carl and I can keep you safe." Ron looked at the two, anger clear on his face. Not only did he hate Carl because of his father, but the girl besides him had put him on his ass. He knew she'd rather threaten him than save him. "No, fuck that." Before the two could stop him, Ron ran off.

Clary shook her head before looking to Carl, hearing the destruction all around them. With a shaky breath, Clary realized she couldn't just sit and hide. "Carl, go back inside." Carl's eyes widened. "No— no, you aren't going alone. I'll—" Clary grabbed his arm, her strong grip forcing him to look at her. "I'm not gonna stand around and let these people take this place, Carl! I— I can't, and I won't." Her eyes fell upon where her hand laid, holding him. She relaxed her grip but stayed close to him, meeting his gaze once again. "Go inside, protect Judith and Enid. When this is all over, I'll come back." Carl moved closer to her, his eyes boring into hers. "And what if you don't come back? How am I supposed to live with that? How am I supposed to live with knowing I could have helped you?" The two stood in silence, screams and cries and battle all around them, but they simply looked at each other for what seemed like hours.

Clary forced herself to pull away from Carl, knowing that if she stayed any longer, he would be able to convince her to stay. But she knew she couldn't. Clary knew in her heart that she wasn't someone that holed up in a house and waited it out. She was a fighter, and she was going to do what she did best. And Carl didn't want to admit it to himself but he knew it too.

Bringing up the covering to her nose, she looked to Carl and spoke."Do you trust me?" Carl clenched his jaw at the question. "You know that's not even a question, Clary." She shook her head softly, keeping her eyes steady on his. "Do you trust me?" Clary asked again, wanting a clear answer. Carl nodded softly. "Yes," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Then I'll come back," Clary promised. "Don't worry about me. You just worry about keeping your sister— and mine— safe." Carl's eyes softened as he heard Clary call Enid her sister. He knew of their past, of their bond that grew stronger as they spent time together within the walls. Carl only nodded, letting Clary go before entering the home and honoring his promise to her to keep those within the home safe.

Upon seeing him enter into the safety of the house, Clary ran down the road in search of the woman she so desperately needed to find. It had been silent for a while as she traveled, until she turned a corner only to see two men approaching. "Lola, you got anything?" Clary shook her head, keeping her eyes away from the men. They let out frustrated groans. "Son of a— I always knew you were too weak to keep up!" The man made an approach to Clary, causing her to realize her cover would be blown.

Before the man could complete his motion of grabbing her arm, Clary brandished her blade and swung. It lodged into the man's side, causing him to cry out in pain and fall away, allowing for her to get into a defensive position. Seeing that the figure was not who they had deemed 'Lola', the other charged as well. The man's taller and larger frame made it easy for her move from his attack, yet still swipe her blade across his stomach. She heard an angry yell before a force collided with her body. Straddling the young girl was the man she had cut, his hands around a knife as he tried to bring it down on her. With his full weight not on her, she jerked her hips up and got him unbalanced before moving her legs from under him. He fell forward, his knife falling from his grip as she slid from under him, grabbing the knife he dropped and shoving it into his throat. Her hands became coated with blood, the blood splattering upon her face.